Company Recalls Spice Items After Notification by Ingredient Supplier of Potential Salmonella Risk

Sauer Brands, Inc. is  recalling a number of its The Spice Hunter Products due to the potential for  Salmonella. The Salmonella was associated with lots of parsley were used on two specific days in production.   The company states that after initially certifying that the raw material had tested negative for Salmonella, the parsley supplier notified the company that specific lots of organic parsley had the the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  The company then went and recalled other products produced on those same days out of an abundance of caution regarding potential cross contamination.  

This supplier issue forced the company to evaluate its other products that were produced at the same time as when they handled the potentially contaminated ingredient.  Generally once spices are cleared through testing, they should be good to go.  But what happens when your supplier then calls and says that there may be an issue with one of those approved lots of spice?

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/sauer-brands-inc-voluntarily-recalls-certain-spice-hunter-products-because-potential-salmonella
Sauer Brands, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls Certain The Spice Hunter Products Because of Potential Salmonella Contamination
Summary
Company Announcement Date: October 12, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  October 12, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Salmonella
Company Name:  Sauer Brands, Inc.
Brand Name:  The Spice Hunter
Product Description:  Spices and blends 

Pet Food Company Expands Recall of Pet Food Due to Aflatoxin

Sunshine Mills, Inc. is expanding its September 2 recall of certain pet food products after an FDA investigation determined that additional corn-based products may also contain aflatoxin.  These products were made with corn ingredient that contained Aflatoxin at levels above FDA’s action levels. The product was produced between April 3, 2020 and April 5, 2020 may contain corn from a single load of corn with elevated levels of aflatoxin. 

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/sunshine-mills-inc-expands-previously-announced-voluntary-recall-certain-pet-food-products-due
Sunshine Mills, Inc. Expands Previously Announced Voluntary Recall of Certain Pet Food Products Due to Potentially Elevated Levels of Aflatoxin
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  October 08, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  October 08, 2020
Product Type:  Animal & Veterinary
Food & Beverages   Pet Food  
Reason for Announcement:  May Contain Aflatoxin
Company Name:  Sunshine Mills, Inc.
Brand Name:  Champ, Field Trial, Good Dog, and Others
Product Description:  Pet Food

Whole and Cut Cantaloupe Recalled for Potential Salmonella Contamination Discovered Through State Testing

Meijer, in conjunction with Eagle Produce, LLC in Aguila, AZ., is recalling of whole cantaloupe and select cut cantaloupe fruit trays and bowls due to the potential risk of Salmonella after sampling by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.  There have been no reported illnesses.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/meijer-recalls-whole-cantaloupes-and-select-cut-cantaloupe-trays-due-potential-health-risk
Meijer Recalls Whole Cantaloupes and Select Cut Cantaloupe Trays Due to Potential Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  October 07, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  October 07, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages   Fruit/Fruit Product
Reason for Announcement:  Salmonella
Company Name:  Meijer
Brand Name:  Kandy Brand, Meijer Brand
Product Description:  Whole Cantaloupe, Select Cut Cantaloupe Fruit Trays & Bowls

Cinnamon Apple Chips Recalled Due to Potential for Salmonella Contamination in Spice

Seneca Snack Company, a Washington Corporation, is recalling its Seneca Cinnamon Apple Chips and Clancy’s Cinnamon Apple Chips after a supplier notified them that a lot of cinnamon ingredient had the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.   This only affects Clancy’s product sold by ALDI and Seneca products sold nationwide through Amazon and Gemline.  There have been no know reported cases of illness.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/seneca-recalls-cinnamon-apple-chips-because-possible-health-risk
Seneca Recalls Cinnamon Apple Chips Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date:  October 02, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  October 05, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Possible Salmonella contamination
Company Name:  Seneca Snack Company
Brand Name:  Seneca, Clancy’s
Product Description:  Seneca Cinnamon Apple Chips and Clancy’s Cinnamon Apple Chips

Produce Company Expands Listeria-linked Recall

Country Fresh is extending the recall they issued last week to include various containers of fresh cut and/or sliced apples, grapes, mangos, pineapples and cantaloupe distributed by Walmart.  As is often the case with recalls involving Listeria, the recall is expanded when there are no clean lines to separate the initial lot of product recalled from other lots of the same product or different products.  Products processed in the same facility, whether that is on the same equipment or in the same area are also potentially exposed to the same contamination point.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/country-fresh-expands-voluntary-recall
Country Fresh Expands Voluntary Recall
Summary
Company Announcement Date: October 03, 2020
FDA Publish Date:  October 03, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name:  Country Fresh
Brand Name:  Walmart
Product Description:  Cut or sliced apples, grapes, mangoes, pineapples, and cantaloupe

FDA Releases Proposed Traceability Regulation

As part of the FSMA requirements (FSMA 204(s)(1), FDA is establishing record keeping requirements for certain foods. While there are existing requirements for lot tracking – the requirement to know the immediate source and immediate recipient, or one-up, one back – these FSMA related requirements add to that, specifically for foods the agency has designated as high-risk human foods.

• The rule only applies to certain food items that are on the list, although FDA would hope that companies would adopt these practices industry wide.  Currently, the list includes:

1. Cheese, other than hard cheese
2. Shell eggs
3. Nut butter
4. Cucumbers
5. Fresh herbs
6. Leafy greens
7. Melons
8. Peppers
9. Sprouts
10. Tomatoes
11. Tropical tree fruits
12. Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables
13. Finfish and smoked finfish
14. Crustaceans
15. Mollusks
16. RTE deli salads

• The rule applies to all entitles that manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods that appear on the Food Traceability List. The proposed rule has exemption for small farms, processed produce, food transporters
• Although the rule does not state that an electronic record is required, it does state that the entity must produce records within 24 hours of FDA request.
• It applies to the specific foods/ingredients including when those high risk foods are used in making other foods (unless those foods are thermally processed.)
• Lot numbers must be applied to those ingredients. When product is shipped to another entity, the lot information must be conveyed including description and quantity of product. The rule establishes KDEs, Key Data Elements associated with Critical Tracking Events (CTEs). Basically, important points along the supply chain must keep certain kinds of information. Critical tracking event (CTE) are events in the supply chain of that food involving the growing, receiving (including receipt by a first receiver), transforming, creating, or shipping of the food. (Creating is different than transforming).
• Those entities receiving product, including retailers, would need to capture that information on a record such as a bill of lading and match it to any outbound records.
• A distributor who receives these high risk food items would have to be able to link, by lot number, a product in inventory with the immediate previous source of the food, the location, date and time the food was received, and the quantity and unit of measure of the food received.

This will require some further study to find pitfalls, if any.  Really hate to see the creation of additional jargon and all of the areas that can be open for interpretation on who needs to keep what information. 

Cleary much of this falls onto the produce industry, where even a highly sophisticated system may not be able to circumvent all issues faced during an outbreak investigation.  However, standardizing the basics such as uniform lot code usage, capture, and tracking  would certainly be a good start.

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-proposed-rule-food-traceability

FSMA Proposed Rule for Food Traceability

9/21/29

This Week in Mislabeled Products Thru October 3, 2020

Mislabeled Pecan Containing Ice Cream - Homestead Creamery of Wirtz, VA is recalling one lot of Homestead Creamery chocolate ice cream quarts, dated 5/13/2021, because it may contain undeclared pecans.   The recall was initiated after it was discovered that product containing the pecans may have been distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of pecans.

Mislabeled Salad Dressing - GHSW, LLC. is voluntarily recalling 1512 units of Trader Joe’s Southwest Style Sweet Potato Sauté Bowl due to undeclared milk and egg allergens in the dressing that are not declared on the label.  The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the dressing containing milk and egg was distributed in packaging that did not declare the presence of milk or egg.

Mislabeled Chicken Salad Contains Walnuts Not on Label  - Willow Tree Poultry Farm, Inc., an Attleboro, Mass. establishment is recalling approximately 6,890 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken salad products due to undeclared walnuts, a known allergen, which are not declared on the product labels. The RTE chicken salad product labeled as “Classic Chicken Salad” may actually contain “White Meat Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad” 

Watermelon Chunks Recalled After FDA Finds Listeria on Packing Equipment

Country Fresh is recalling watermelon chunks sold at Walmart and RaceTrac in several southcentral states after FDA found Listeria on packaging equipment.  The testing was conducted as part of an inspection.  There have been no illness reported to date.

Processors of fresh cut produce must have tight controls on Listeria in the processing environment.  At this point, this facility will need to detail clean its operation and conduct a root cause analysis on how the organism was able to get onto the equipment.  We may see additional products recalled after further investigation by FDA.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/country-fresh-voluntary-product-recall
Country Fresh Voluntary Product Recall
Summary
Company Announcement Date: October 01, 2020
FDA Publish Date: October 01, 2020
Product Type:  Food & Beverages
Reason for Announcement:  Potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
Company Name:  Country Fresh
Brand Name:  Walmart  RaceTrac
Product Description:  Watermelon Chunks

FDA Testing of Dark Chocolate Products for Milk Allergens - Verifying the Absence Claims

Dark chocolate should be free from milk, especially when labeled as dairy free.  But can a person with milk allergies count on that?  FDA conducted analysis of 119 samples representing 52 products -  all products being manufactured in the U.S.  bearing a dairy-free or similar claim[ on their package or website, and consisting solely of dark chocolate (e.g., be free of cream or nougat filling, a candy shell, or inclusions such as nuts, fruit, or seeds).  Samples were collected from 2018 to 2019.

"The FDA determined that four of the 52 products tested had potentially hazardous levels of milk allergen. These four products – all dark chocolate bars – were made by three different manufacturers. Together the four products were responsible for 12 positives out of the 119 samples....The agency found the 12 samples from the four products to have milk allergen levels ranging from 600 ppm to 3,100 ppm. The agency determined that, at these levels, the four products held the potential to cause severe reactions in consumers with milk allergy. The FDA took action as warranted to address each of these positives."

"The FDA does not define the terms “dairy free,” “milk free” or other “absence” claims, except for “gluten free.” Absence claims are voluntary statements that indicate a specific ingredient or food component is not present in a product.  Absence claims, when used, must be truthful and not misleading, per the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.  If a product or references to a product on a company website were to bear a dairy-free or similar claim, the FDA would expect there to be no milk allergen in the product given that consumers with milk allergy depend on the accuracy of dairy-free claims for their health. The presence of milk allergen in a product bearing a dairy-free claim may lead the agency to conduct an investigation and to consider enforcement action, depending on the investigational findings."

https://www.fda.gov/food/sampling-protect-food-supply/fy1819-sample-collection-and-analysis-domestically-manufactured-dairy-free-dark-chocolate-products
FY18/19 Sample Collection and Analysis of Domestically Manufactured, Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Products for Milk Allergen